To our Look to the Stars family, whether you’ve been here since the beginning or joined only recently,

It is with heavy hearts that the Staff are announcing the closure of our beloved site. It will remain open for the entirety of August for you to collect your character profiles together and maybe hang around the site for the last time, but after that, LTTS will be closing. The closure comes for no reason other than the site reaching almost a ‘natural end’ in its life – all good things must come to an end, after all!

To celebrate the life of our wonderful site (or at least this is the case in our opinion!), we’d like to share with you a little bit of history because we’re proud of what our site was and what it came to stand for!
Way back in 2015, which honestly feels like forever ago for those of us who’ve been around that long, a wonderful woman we all know as Maggie opened LTTS’ doors for the first time. Here is a short quote from the very first OTMs, of which our site leader won. We feel it sums her up incredibly well: “Maggie is the fearless leader of LTTS (or so the members call her!). She designed and created LTTS to be a safe, fun space for folks wanting to roleplay fantasy horses without the confinement of a lot of rules. So far, we think she's succeeded! She is a very easy and open person to talk to.”

As mentioned above, before all else, LTTS was designed to be simple. This was a safe space for anyone who wanted to write their pixel equines. With its relaxed and happy atmosphere, the member base that followed the opening of the site simply proves what, at the time, a innovative site it was, proving that the most unassuming, modest roleplays have the power to build strong communities, something that LTTS has always prided itself on.

Since 2015, it has been one heck of a rollercoaster! The site has been through so much – surviving the opening of other sites, the very sad stepping down of Maggie and one or two (okay, many!) redesigns to keep it fresh. We’ve seen some crazy writing and some beautifully touching threads. There are so many characters that will live forever in our minds as legends who carved Elysium’s future into the earth and stone it is created of.
The current Staff team would firstly like to say a massive thank you to Maggie. Without you, there would be no LTTS, and many of us would have missed out on having a home in the RP world that is so welcoming. We’re sorry that your brain-child is closing, but we know you have some super exciting upcoming projects that we can’t wait to see; whatever you end up doing, we know you’ll be successful. Also to mention are the endless Staff members who have put so much time, effort and heart into LTTS. Here is an attempt to mention you all. Sorry if we missed anybody! Thanks to Maggie, Asyn, Blushie, Ana, Niki, Cecil, Scrimpyshrimp, Soupi, Revanant, Strixx, Briallu, Arabella, Mallory, Mercier, Mono, Boaz. Every one of you helped create this beautiful community, and you all should be so proud you were part of the LTTS journey. Finally, what would we be without our members. You range from young to old, shiny-new to veteran of the RP world and crazy to kind. One thing you all have in common is your ability to just get on. We’d like to say that we, as a site, have (probably!) had very little drama and we’re so thankful for you guys for making our job so easy. You’re all super sweet and respectful of each other. It’s lovely to see such collectivism online because it can often be missed in this internet age. Never have we met such a talented bunch of writers who also manage to juggle real life as well as roleplaying some incredible characters. A big, big thank you (and so many hugs) for your endless support.

As a final word, we’d like to say to our members – don’t stop roleplaying! We can name endless sites that are around right now (Caeleste, Rise of the Fallen, Fimbulvetr, Novus, just to name a few), plus there are many that are being created at this very minute. Go forth and continue your equine RP journey! The end of one thing opens so many doors into new and exciting possibilities.

There is currently no plan to bring around a LTTS 2.0. Perhaps in the future, the Staff will get together again and with Maggie’s permission, the world of Elysium will be reborn. (Remember that the idea was originally hers, so anyone looking to take inspiration from the site must speak to her first.)

But for now, we say goodbye, we love you all, and don’t forget to look to the stars!

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07-18-18 ★ Our host has finished with the updates and it's good to post again without fear of losing your posts.

07-07-18 ★ Our host will be updating the server, so any new posts from now may be affected. Please be sure to save them in a Word Doc like google documents. Will keep you updated until this is over, especially on Discord.

06-19-18 ★ We have updated our rules to match our host's update about inappropriate content. Anyone who goes against this will have their IP addresses banned by the host. If you've any questions, please contact a staff member.

06-14-18 ★ May OTM Nominations are up and ready to go, they will be open until the 28th of this month.

Summer, Year 3 Leviticus Era

• The new Firstborn Vihaan is visiting the horses of Carinae in Viridian Fields!• The Lost One has appeared needing help of your characters in this site wide plot!• Congratulations to Ritsika, the new player of newly mortal firstborn, Cora!• Welcome new Empress Kashmir of Heretic!• The Red Wastes now has a sub-forum of its own! All Lyrus members can post there but outsiders beware!• The training battle between Gotham City and Caelian has been decided on a winner!

Finally, finally he had been blessed once again with magic. Pantheon had granted him upon his arrival an adeptness with the manipulation of water, and later the addition of psyche manipulation. The combination had allowed him to wield water as a unique weapon, lacing it with the memories and fears of his foe and use it, even, in conjunction with his own mind to create temporary portals and pathways. Upon Pantheon's downfall, his double enchantment had crumbled also and the stallion had found himself rather mundane once more.

The King had learned that Elysium was not entirely barren of magic. Certain creatures possessed items, trinkets of sorts that allowed them to practice gentle enchantments, enchantments that could not so much be used in the battlefield but were rather for show or entertainment. Recently, though, the atmosphere of Elysium had changed. The stag had found himself suddenly in possession of magic once more, and not merely the soft type that existed before his rise to the Crucis throne. No, once again he was able to wield water as a secondary weapon to the brute of his body. It did not come with psyche magic as a complimentary ability, and the ways in which he could manipulate the stuff of the sea was rather different, but no matter. He was magical once more.

Different too to the ways of Pantheon was the strength of his ability. Practicing his magic came with more weakness, more physical exhaustion than it had before, and the limits were far more obvious. The stallion figured further strength may come with the extended use of his aqueous power, and so ventured forth to the Colosseum to question a willing opponent. He would take the chance not only to develop his own skills, but the opportunity may as well be used to further the magical talents of one of those who operated beneath him in his herd. A learning experience for them both, perhaps, for it may as well be beneficial to Crucis as a whole if it were to be a benefit to anyone at all.

This time, he stepped further than the shortest reaches of the Colosseum territory. His purpose today was less macabre, for he did not have set in his mind the wish to overthrow a royal. Perhaps this time, though, he would actually be granted his wish for conflict and bloodshed. After all, the King had no shame to be spoken of in his masochism. Pain was a gift, a reminder of life, and he had little more than sparring to entertain his otherwise idle days. Ruling a Kingdom was somewhat fulfilling, but the lands of Elysium were quiet in the ways of war and his limbs itched for more.

He stepped up onto a platform, scanning with duochrome eyes the details of his surroundings. His gaze was narrow and focussed, unwilling to be caught out by the sneak attack of a hidden opponent. He stood tall though his head remained tucked to his chest, guarding the tender flesh of his neck and chin, and his muscles were rigid, tensed in anticipation. He shook his tail out once, jellyfish lappets snapping against each other as if in irritation of their uselessness. Maybe someday he would be granted further power which might apply itself to the glowing frilled appendages.

"Children of Crucis," his voice bellowed to the gentle wind, "I ask that one of you comes forth to fight me, train with me, discover the reaches of your magic with me. We will fight with honour," surely at least one of his newly appointed citizens or fighting ranks would heed his call, "and we shall fight in the name of our beloved herd!"

His sister was probably already queen, and where was he? Stuck on a magical rock of a land.

At least he’s magical ability had been restored, though it was quite unexpected and startling. Before, all the magic he possessed that simply through spoken words; spells and things of the sort. Now, it seemed as if he had the ability to create and manipulate lightning. Besides this, he had been born out of magic, being an obsidian statue and all.

All that reminded him of this was his hair, and at times, it was a painful reminder.

It especially reminded him of his sister, and as he stared at his dark figure in the reflection of a pool, he scowled at himself with his obsidian purple duo horns, his black mane, resembling the rock he was created out of, and his dark, freckled, and slender body. He ripped his gaze from the mirror and turned abruptly away from it, trotting away. He needed no more reminders of his past.

He was probably going insane. Out of his mind and he had no idea.

Thoughts swirled through his head as he trotted onwards, not exactly sure where he was going. He was heading out of the forest, that was certain, but he had never travelled these lands before, and he knew not the path. As he let the land lead him, worries and memories surfaced in his mind’s eye.

The one sentence that seemed recurring was ”I miss your voice.” A thought once more about his sister. He missed her laugh, her voice as smooth as silk, and a smile that could light a room.

Yet she was the sun, and he was the moon. He darkened the room and killed the mood. That was why he had been shunned. It hadn’t been his fault, but they had told him he shadowed the brightness his sister gave off.

Marble isn’t suppose to shine, but it did.

The thought had been destroyed. He’d crushed it under bitterness, as he always did. He drowned in the feeling, and anger rose in his heart. Without knowing, sparks began gathering around his hooves. He only noticed when he accidentally set a small plant on fire.

Then suddenly, a voice was carried across the wind, drawing the attention of Caelian’s soft ears. They rotated in the direction of the sudden noise, hearing out the words, and noticing the voice. It was of his king, Gotham. A calling for a battle.

At least a fight would distract the freckled steed, and rid him of the anger swelling inside him.

So he followed the voice to a giant structure, a bowl-like shape with various arches and pillars. He entered into the area, quickly spotting the massive form of his king. The glowing stallion had not yet spotted him, and Caelian took this time to hide himself and scan the surroundings. Targets were placed around the area, which would be helpful if the freckled man ever needed practise aiming lightning. He had never really used his ability, and now lightning teamed within his veins, and he was eager to let it loose. His King stood on a platform, tense and ready for an attack. He stood ridged, and Caelian couldn’t help but smile slightly wickedly. He was curious of the king’s ability.

At first, Caelian was torn between the decision of showing himself to Gotham and announcing his name, and sneaking upon him to attack. It was a quick decision, and the steed took the more dramatic route.

He climbed the colosseum to a higher row, above the giant King. He stood gracefully, looking down at the stallion with respect and competition shining in his eyes, before he announced his presence. Before the chest of Caelian, a bright ball of blue light slowly grew larger as sparks jumped off it every once in a while and got lost in the air. Eventually, it grew to a decent size and the freckled one planted his hooves and aimed not for the king, but to a spot near him.

Lightning was hard to aim, it was one of his weaknesses. He shot the bolt, and it whizzed through the air, hitting the ground a few feet away from the giant, leaving a black, smoking stain on the sand. Caelian stood up straight again, his muscles tense and he prepared himself for the oncoming spar. His chest and shoulders began trailing a small line of smoke.

The King had set no material gain to be had by the victor of this impromptu battle - all that was to be won was honour and, perhaps, dignity. Even bragging rights mattered very little to the stag, though his opponent was welcome to chant of his excellence from the mountain tops if he came out victorious, and if he so wished. Despite the relaxed nature of the battle as it so seemed, to Gotham this was not simply a training spar. It would prove beneficial to both him and whoever stepped up to fight him, yes, but his call to arms was somewhat more down to a desperation for adrenaline. He needed this to be fast-paced and fiery, he needed his blood to run hot and he needed to feel pain. The beast did not intend to hold back simply because his opponent was due to be one of his followers - why should he? If they answered his call for a duel they should know what to expect from their King. After all, his appearance was not shy in the way it shouted "Warrior!".

Gotham City's motivation was not purely selfish. He figured that, no matter who came out on top, after the battle the magic of himself and his challenger would be somewhat strengthened. At the very least, surely it would be helped on its way to becoming stronger. The stronger his magic, the better equipped Gotham would be to serve and protect his people and the same would surely go for his foe. Perhaps he would make this battle a regular occurrence, something to continually build the powers of his magically gifted citizens until they discovered the limits of their enchantment.

A fine mist of rain began to shed itself over the Colosseum and its lone resident as Gotham looked in front of him with narrowed eyes. The stone floor beneath him would surely slowly become slippery under the rain's caress and already the visibility was worsening. The stag loved water, though its appearance at an unsheltered battleground was not quite so appreciated. Black ears shivered with tension as Gotham somehow missed the sound of climbing footsteps behind him. His attention was pointed solely forwards though he found himself promptly disturbed when a blue sphere of light whirled through the air to his left and sent jagged knives of luminescence splintering through the sand beneath the stone pedestal he stood on. It was clear this attack had not been aimed directly at him, though the beast found himself fighting against the annoyance that he had been caught off guard. He turned his head, the rest of his body slowly following suit, and looked upwards upon the smaller form of another black stallion. He recognized the man from the first herd meeting he had called, though couldn't recall him ever speaking. Apparently, the nameless man had accepted Gotham's challenge, and he didn't need a name to be able to fight.

A stony gaze came over the King's skull as hot breath swirled from his flared nostrils. He was not angry at this stallion - if anything, he was impressed that he had managed to sneak up on a beast so used to battle - but the imminency of untamed conflict was thrumming through his veins and now was not a time for pleasantries or warm introductions. This man knew he was taking up a battle with his King, and the terms had already been stated. Gotham City opened his mouth: the words that left his lips were not sweet but rather resembled a predatory growl. "Shall we begin?"

The permanent cyan sneer painted on his lips served to save the stallion the effort of contorting his features into an actual expression in the fleeting moment before he began his attack. The smaller stag stood a few steps above his King which might've placed him at an advantage if it weren't for Gotham's towering stature. The other man sported horns on his crown which Gotham did not, so the top of his head mightn't have been an intelligent target. Instead, the glowing behemoth, eyes darkening as the thrill of battle overcame him, hauled himself up onto his hind legs in a swift motion, bringing his skull up into the joint of his opponent's neck and chin. He bore his teeth, tilting his crown and aiming to clamp down on the tender flesh of the creature's throat latch and tear it backward. The Crucis King deemed it too early to use his magic; though impressed by his companion's sneak attack, he also considered it a weakness for revealing his secret power so soon. For all he knew, the other stag had no clue what magic his King possessed and he intended to keep it that way for now. Besides, the magic had a tendency to bring upon him considerable fatigue and it was better not to waste his energy so carelessly.

Front legs reached out, seeking the bone of the stallion's shoulders to hook onto and hold him in tangled stance. Should he fail to find contact, however, he would merely feel his four hooves drop back to the stone platform and eye the man with orbs greedy for bloodshed. He spat whatever bodily debris he had gained onto the Colosseum sand and tensed his muscles in preparation for a counterattack as the fine precipitation continued in making the terrain slippery and the visibility clouded.

Posts Remaining: 4/5Dodges Remaining: 1/1 Full, 3/3 PartialAttack Summary: Rears up and thrusts his head underneath Caelian's, trying to bite onto the flesh of Caelian's throat latch (the tender bit between his chin and neck) and tear it off. He tries to hook his legs over Caelian's shoulders to tangle them together and make it harder for Caelian to attack him - if he misses, though, he just lands back on all four on the Colosseum ground. Defense Summary: ^ attempts to support himself on Caelian's shoulders to push him down and make it harder for him to attack, but if this fails he just stands in front of Caelian and tenses his muscles in preparation.Injury Summary: none, yet.

It had begun to mist beautifully, and as the sky slowly became a dark shade of grey, droplets gathered on Caelian’s freckled coat. A distant roll of thunder reeled across the sky over the heads of the two equines, but the lightning made not an appearance. The Colosseum became a sheet of water as a light layer of rain rested atop of it, sticking the to dust and causing the surroundings to become slick. The sand was dampened, and if the horses ever did touch the grains, it would be sure to stick to their hooves.

Caelian felt a small shiver jet down his spine as a stone cold gaze was turned upon him. He had surprised the king, not something he fully had intended to do, but it had turned out that way. The freckled stallion hadn’t missed the hot breath that had escaped his king, as if an expression of anger.

Then a growl floated through the air toward the dark ears of Caelian, and his muscles barely had time to tense when the massive stallion was suddenly upon him. His brain registered the movements of Gotham quickly, finding a jaw snap quite close to his neck. For a moment, Caelian had thought the king had missed the smaller one’s neck, but then the pain flared as his system caught up with the moment, and a warm stream of blood had started rolling down, mixing with rain and dripping off his chest.

A determined scowl found itself to Caelian’s face, and his brow furrowed intensely. The rain around the two crackled with buzzing electricity. Lightning jumped from rain drop to rain drop around the two, illuminating the night in a faint blue hue. The electric current surged off the coat of Caelian when he was hit by raindrops, but he restrained himself from using his magic until he had separated himself a bit from his king.

At the moment, they only got closer as Gotham threw himself onto Caelian’s shoulders, making it harder for the freckled stallion to attack. With almost all of the giant steed’s weight upon his shoulders, the smaller one sought out a different technique. He suddenly went limp, hoping to surprise his foe slightly, and cause a slip, an advantage of rain. Now lower than his normal height, Caelian thrust his head forward, aiming to land his duo-spiral horns into the soft area where the shoulder attached to the side of the chest.

Posts Remaining: 4/5Dodges Remaining: 1/1 Full, ⅔ PartialAttacks Summary: Thrusts horns into the soft area underneath the arm, in front of the shoulder where the arm attaches to the chestDefense Summary: Partially pulled away from Gotham’s attempt at his neck, then went almost completely limp under the massive stallion’s weight in an attempt to wiggle free of his graspInjury Summary: Gash on his neck underneath the chin, dripping with a trail of blood

As the rain continued to fall, the behemoth felt his footing become somewhat challenged. Despite the colossal size of his dinner plate hooves, they were slipping on the stone surface, struggling to find purchase on the slack terrain. One by one, he lifted them and inched them forward in an effort to remain upright as his teeth tore at his opponent's neck. The beast's maw came away with the slightest scrap of skin. More considerable though was the mouthful of blood that dripped from his teeth onto the floor beneath the pair, muddling with the rainwater into a diluted crimson puddle that surely would not lend any help to the already slippery situation. Gotham leaned his head to the side and spat the other man's skin onto the sand. He had never found any appeal in eating flesh, nor was he built for it, but battle situations often brought out a different side to the King. The metallic taste on his tongue awoke some animalistic beast inside of him, and his eyes grew darker still.

This raging conflict was what he lived for.

He twisted his head back up to meet the stallion's eyes but the horned head was no longer there, and Gotham found his legs falling from where they had hooked over his foe's shoulders. A quick glance downwards showed the black stallion far beneath him, using the wet stone to aid his escape from Gotham's grasp. In an effort to regain his position of dominance, the Crucis King pushed all his weight into his hind legs, coiling his muscles like springs and attempting to launch himself up and over the smaller man's form. His back hooves disappointed in finding adequate purchase for a clean take off, though, causing the draft to slip and fail to leap as high as he would've liked. Consequently, his opponent's three horns found themselves slashing through the flesh of his underbelly, creating 3 separate deep gashes running from between his front legs to midway down his barrel. Gotham gritted his teeth as searing pain shot through his nerves, igniting them as if he were on fire. At least the horns had not punctured near his heart or his joints, however. Surely that would've been far more serious than the.. fair amount of blood he was going to lose, and the ugly scars that would result.

The black and cyan stag refused to let his concentration fail him, and returned his attention to trying to make the best of a less-than-desirable situation. Considering his opponent was now underneath him, and Gotham had at least succeeded in launching himself into the air even if it was less graceful and clean than he had intended, he now held a fairly advantageous position. A split second decision told him to raise his forelegs and bring them crashing down as he landed, aiming to bring his whole weight plummeting down onto the smaller stallion's back. His front hooves were pointed, aiming for the tender muscle of the man's rump, though Gotham realized this would be far from the most elegant attack he'd ever carried out. If he succeeded, the two would likely both end up in some kind of tangled heap on the ground - not to mention the stallion still stood on one of the Colosseum steps which, though wide, did not allow for much maneuvering room. If the other man managed to escape the falling beast, Gotham would land with his rear facing the center of the Colosseum and no doubt his foe, and find himself promptly fighting against the slick footing as to not fall over anyway.

Gotham noted as he fell through the air that the night was growing quickly darker. Unfortunately, this placed some advantage upon his opponent. While Gotham possessed a plethora of luminous markings by which he could be seen in the black of night, his opponent did not. Black skin would blend seamlessly into the darkness, and Gotham could only hope the battle would be done before he lost sight of his challenger. Lightning was beginning to split the sky, bringing with it the occasional furious growl of thunder. Blue light danced between particles of falling moisture in the air, and the scene slowly became one of grey and cyan duochrome. It was rather a coincidence how the weather had turned out this way: given that Gotham possessed the magic of water manipulation, and his opponent seemed to be somewhat adept with electricity, the atmosphere appeared to be mirroring the enchanted battle taking place. It is well known that water and electricity are not the best of friends, either, so the battle may have a few surprises in store yet.

Posts Remaining: 3/5Dodges Remaining: 1/1 Full, 2/3 PartialAttack Summary: launches himself with his hind legs over Caelian as he thrust his head underneath Gotham's neck. His back hooves slip so he doesn't go as far or high as he wanted, but instead tries to bring his forelegs down on Caelian's rump, with his hooves pointed to try and break flesh. He also aims to bring his weight crashing down onto Caelian's back, which would likely result in them both becoming a tangled heap on the Colosseum steps. If Caelian manages to dodge, Gotham will land with his back facing the Colosseum centre/Caelian, and will slip briefly on the stone floor and try not to fall over himself.Defense Summary: Kind of by accident diverts Caelian's horns from hitting the flesh between his shoulder and chest, by leaping up and over the stallion. On landing, he assumes Caelian is pinned beneath him, but if Caelian escapes he dons no defenses given the slippery ground and the fact he faces away from the stallion.Injury Summary: 3 individual gashes running from between his forelegs to midway down his barrel. These are semi-deep, the largest being about 3cm deep and the most shallow being just under 1cm. Each will bleed quite badly and cause him considerable pain and future stiffness - they will all scar, though the deepest will take a while to scar over and the flesh might never truly heal (the gash may remain 1cm deep even after scarring).

The storm was growing nearer, the thunder louder, and lightning had begun to crackle over their heads, lighting the colosseum in an eerie glow. It was as if the weather was creating its own warsong, and the two horses below the heavens danced to the music. A silent flash, a crack, then the roll.

Discovering this, Caelian felt a sense of calm wash over him, and his frown became a smirk as his horns glazed the side of his king. Blood washed over his face, but he cared not. He did not miss the slip his king made on the slick surface of rock as the behemoth leaped over his head, and due to this, the giant had not enough momentum to clear the smaller stallion.

As the king flew over his head, the freckled stallion’s eyes watched in seemingly slow motion. There was not enough time to do anything, and so the behemoth came crashing down right on top of his back, causing them both to fall off the steps of the Colosseum, twisted together and unable to stop on the slippery surfaces. Without thinking, Caelian suddenly brought his hind legs up and attempted to plant them upon the king’s chest, before pushing hard and flinging the two separate of each other.

If the attempt is successful, Caelian would land on his side and push himself to his hooves, facing his king. Being a distance away from each other, he would then fire three shocks of lightning toward the king in hopes they would meet their target.

If the attempt is unsuccessful, the two would continue to flop down the stairs, tangled together. Caelian would attempt to try to land a bite on the king’s shoulder.

Posts Remaining: ⅗Dodges Remaining: 1/1 Full, ⅔ PartialAttacks Summary: caelian attempts to plant his hind hooves on the king’s chest and push them away from each other. If this is successful, he will fire three shocks of lightning at Gotham. If it is unsuccessful, caelian will attempt at a bite on Gotham’s shoulderDefense Summary: caelian attempts to fling the two away from each other with his hind legsInjury Summary: a gash is visible under the chin on the throat latch, dripping a steady stream of blood still. Though caelian has not yet noticed, he now has two punctures in his rump from gotham’s hooves and a few bruises from the stairs of the colosseum and Gotham’s weight

Blood continued to drip, drip, drip from the deep lacerations under his stomach but he paid no heed to the pain they sent through his nerves in shocks. If anything, he relished the sharp sting that shattered through his body every time he moved.

He was so alive.

An ear splitting roll of thunder crashed out over the Colosseum as if intentionally synchronised with the collapse of Gotham on top of his opponent. Electric blue illuminated the two tangled figures for a brief moment as legs twined together and the two beasts tumbled down the Colosseum steps in a cascade of blood and bone. Crimson dripped from the pristine stone - it was lucky the rain was there to prevent the deep burgundy liquid from causing an unsightly stain. Then again, it was a battle Colosseum. Perhaps a few blood stains here and there were only to be expected.

Gotham found himself catching his breath as he lay for a moment entangled with the stallion he'd attempted to flatten. His hooves had, at least, found their target in the stallion's rump and drawn blood, but he hadn't been particularly clever in his calculation of the last attack. The grooves of the steps had dug into his hide in numerous places - while they hadn't broken the skin, they would no doubt leave him with a few tender bruises and certainly hadn't helped the shooting pains of the wounds in his stomach. A low moan, a mix of windedness and adrenaline, rumbled in the stag's throat as two back hooves landed upon his chest. In the moment he was taking to find his breath again, Gotham found a staggering weight pushed against him and his colossal form was shifted away from the other man. He landed with his left side on the stone floor of the Colosseum as his foe brought himself up onto his feet.

The stallion heaved himself onto his forelegs, managing somewhat of a sitting position before he was assaulted by three consecutive daggers of lightning. The first hit just beneath his left cannon, sending spikes of heat up his leg and causing the muscle to temporarily slacken. Gotham fought to remain upright as the second bolt arced over his head and collided with his crest. Head jolted upwards as his neck spasmed and a wave of pain careered towards his head. His skull seemed to vibrate for a few seconds before a slow trickle of blood began running from his left nostril. The third flare of lightning hit the King square in the chest and induced a brief tremble across the entirety of his body. The stallion pushed through it, though, ignoring the pinching sensations that rippled over his skin, and brought himself back onto four feet. He regarded his opponent with an impressed look, though watched him closely for a moment in case he decided to attack again.

Satisfied for now, Gotham oddly closed his eyes. He stood with his hooves square and his head bowed slightly to the ground, hoping that for a split second the other stag would be confused or intimidated and not bring himself to react. He opened his eyes and focussed solely on a dark spot in the stone beneath him, orbs unblinking and intense. Droplets of rainwater began to grow, merging into one another and spreading into a puddle that continued to expand until it wet all 8 hooves of the battling pair. The Crucis King's nose twitched just slightly and a crack sounded out as the puddle instantaneously froze over and three 40cm high icicles shot up from the ground. None appeared anywhere near Gotham's opponent, though, and he sighed with annoyance. Evidently, his magic needed a little more honing in order for it to work exactly how he wished it to. In lieu of his failed attempt to dagger one of the stallion's lower legs with an icicle, Gotham flung himself forwards and over the ice. His limbs flailed as the ice proved an even harder surface to run across, but he made it without falling and snatched one of the three icicles in his mouth. The man now stood a little way behind his follower, facing the right side of his rear at a 45-degree angle.

With one quick motion, he snapped the icicle from its base and propelled himself towards the stallion's behind. He ducked his head and swiftly drove the sharp, icy implement towards the stag's rear. He aimed for it to pierce the flesh between the man's flank and gaskin, perhaps lodging itself into the joint of his thigh. Of course, the weapon would eventually melt - he had learned it did so quicker than ordinary ice, given that it was formed of enchantment and not mother nature's own will - but it was capable of causing ample damage given its jagged, knife-like shape.

The dark man released his hold on his makeshift armament and righted his stance, first taking a few steps back so he was not in the perfect line of fire for the unicorn's hind hooves. He made his body rigid, wincing against the responding pain of his bleeding barrel, and glanced once downwards as a drop of blood fell from his nose to splash onto the icy floor. He wasn't sure how long the ice would last, but it was certainly an even less pleasant terrain than that created by the fine rain, with which they were already struggling.

Posts Remaining: 2/5Dodges Remaining: 1/1 Full, 2/3 PartialAttack Summary: Uses his magic to create a puddle of ice beneath both Caelian and himself. He freezes this over and 3 icicles, 40cm in height each, grow from the ground. None of these are anywhere near Caelian and the two that he did not use will melt away within a few seconds. He snaps the third icicle off, one that appeared near the back-right of Caelian, and attempts to drive it into the flesh between Caelian's gaskin and stifle, aiming for it to become lodged in the joint of his right thigh. This icicle, wherever it lands, will also melt away within a few seconds after he lets go. Whether the ice on the floor remains is up to flurry - it can have melted away by Caelian's next attack, or it can remain frozen for longer to make the surface even more difficult.Defense Summary: Steps a few steps away from Caelian's back end but remains behind him, making his body rigid in preparation for the next attack.Injury Summary: three deep gashes under his stomach still bleeding but slowed ever so slightly. Correction to last post - as Caelian only has 2 horns, 2 of the gashes were caused by the larger horn skipping over his skin and causing 2 individual wounds in addition to the third, more shallow gash caused by the smaller horn. Left nostril bleeding as a result of the second lightning strike, left leg from cannon down is ever so slightly numb. Skin is tingling all over which is not painful but may become distracting. Head is slightly sore, given the all over effect of the third lightning strike. Body is generally sore and bruised from falling down the stairs with Caelian.

Each one of Caelian’s lightning bolts hit their target, and the freckled stallion watched as his king struggled to remain standing against the shocks of electricity. With a sense of satisfaction washing over him, he was equally impressed with himself. He had not expected the bolts to meet the opponent, for lightning was hard to aim.

It was intriguing to see what the shocks did to another. Caelian had never had the experience to watch it before, to see what his ability was capable of, to see his own power and the pain it caused others. The tall stallion shifted his hooves, unsure if he enjoyed the pain or if it made him uncomfortable. The spasms the shocks provided seemed to paralyze their prey, even if it was barely for a second. Gotham seemed to almost tremble as they hit his skin, and the smooth trickle of blood that flowed from his nostril sparked something in Caelian.

That was his magic’s doing. It was different than the times he had made his opponents bleed before, in hoof to hoof combat. He had always ended up with their blood splashed across him, as Gotham’s blood was smeared across his face. This time, however, he had made someone bleed and they stood more than a horse-length away from each other. It made the freckled one feel alive with a sense of pure power.

As Gotham rose slowly back to his four hooves, his muscles spazzing, something oddly strange took place. The mismatched eyes of his king slid shut in a way that reminded Caelian of a snake. His head was bowed, and it looked for a split moment as if the behemoth had given up and surrendered, but that was not the way of the giant. The obsidian man’s muscles went rigid, and he planted his hooves deeper into the ground, ready if the massive beast was to make another move.

However, the move he did make was a surprise to the the unsuspecting horse. As Gotham’s eyes flashed open and were fixated on a spot upon the floor, the water seemed to rise and dampen the hooves of the equines, then suddenly froze over, causing the rink to become slick as clean glass. The sound that emerged into the air was one that hurt Caelian’s sensitive ears, and three stalagmites of ice shot from the surface. None seemed to be close to the freckled one, and he suddenly let out a breath he hadn’t known he held. Being impaled was not something he had been expecting. Did Gotham control some kind of ice element?

Noticing his attack hadn’t worked as planned, Gotham flung himself at one of the ice columns. Caelian nearly growled as the king snatched one of the icicles in his mouth and propelled himself back at the smaller equine with the force he used to snatch the ice. This time, Caelian expected his attack, but the force at which Gotham travelled was much quicker than anticipated, so the two nearly collided with each other and a jagged, ice-knife went straight into the man’s thigh. The obsidian one had already brought his neck around in an attempt to fight back, however, and aimed a well intended and harsh bite on the other’s muzzle. His teeth, though, snapped loudly on thin air as the man stepped back out of reach of both his hind legs and his mouth.

Fatigue wore on Caelian’s muscles, and each one seemed tight and unwilling to move under the bruises, a result from the Colosseum stairs. Now with an icicle impaled through his thigh, each movement was an internal scream of pain, and the slow turn to face his king made his brain fuzzy. Caelian knew what would happen if he removed the knife, but it did not affect his actions. With wild eyes and a madly furrowed brow, the freckled one whipped his head around to his thigh and quickly ripped the shard from his body, gripping it tight with his teeth. A flow of blood instantly spilled onto the icy floor, and a clear amount of open muscles and nerves could be seen from the wound the icicle left. Caelian fought the dizziness this action had on him, and he launched himself at his king, throwing himself to the left slightly as to skid on the ice, rather than run across it. He aimed the icicle straight for the left side of the king’s neck, where the neck met the breast and shoulder. He had force behind him, and was hoping to drive his dagger deep.

At the same time, he attempted to trip up the behemoth, something he would never attempt without the help of the slick ground. He threw out his hind legs toward the giants front legs in an attempt to fell him from the front, where the icicle would most likely accidentally rip across his shoulder if he fell. Caelian would be stuck under his front if he tripped, but would possibly be able to escape. He tensed his muscles in preparation if the man did come down upon him. Each attack by the freckled man seemed to get more and more risky.

Posts Remaining: ⅖Dodges Remaining: 1/1 full, ⅔ partialAttack Summary: caelian attempted to land a harsh bite on the king’s muzzle, but the giant had stepped out of the way and caelian’s bite down loudly on thin air. He then pulled the icicle knife out of his thigh and attempts to ram it deep into the king’s shoulder, where the neck and breast meet. At the same moment, he attempted to trip up the front legs of the massive man, hoping to fell him from the front. This might cause the icicle knife to slip up and tear more of Gotham’s shoulder, or get lodged and ripped sharply out of Caelian’s mouth, causing his teeth to become sore.Defense Summary: caelian tensed in preparation in case gotham fell onto himInjury Summary: a gash is quite visible under the chin, on the throat latch of caelian. It is barely trickling blood, the rest had frozen to his fur. He has two puncture wounds in his rump from gotham’s pointed hooves, and bruises from his fall down the steps of the colosseum. He now suffers a bleeding deep puncture/laceration in his thigh, showing off a bit of torn muscle.

The beast was surprised his ice had lasted so long. While the two crystalline spikes left untouched had melted away rather quickly, the hazardous surface he had created still somehow remained, and it was succeeding in making the impromptu combat quite theatrical.

The Crucis King's expression was unmoving as the shard in his mouth met the resistance of the black stag's thigh. He pushed it through, through, through until the tip hit bone and he could push no more. The attack had been surprisingly easy to pull off; the other stallion seemed to have no protest to being daggered by a frosted sword until it was fully embedded in his flank. In the heat of the battle, Gotham could've snarled in mockery at his opponent as he failed to land a bite and instead chowed down on damp air, but he took a moment to catch himself. This was one of his citizens. He was not out to intimidate and he was gaining almost nothing from this fight regardless of who came out on top: there was no need to flaunt his aggressively competitive side.

Behemoth watched, unmoving from his position at a diagonal to his foe's hind, as the icicle was wrenched from flesh once again and a rush of crimson cascaded out of the open wound. Quite frankly, Gotham thought this move rather idiotic. Sure, the icicle was bound to melt at any moment and leave the puncture empty regardless, but to remove it so abruptly would surely further aggravate the injury. He rolled his shoulders as if to shrug and continued looking upon his opponent who now seemed to be fighting a momentary dizziness. Within a split second, though, apparent nausea was overcome and the nimble form had spun around and begun to hurtle towards him. The ice, made yet more perilous by the burgundy gore the smaller stallion had lost, seemed to be serving as an additional weapon. Hooves skidded as the same icicle Gotham had wielded was turned against him, pointed at his neck. The King's heavier form did not allow for the same agility as his competitor and consequently, with the ice beneath him, it would not have been so sensible to attempt to flee. It was here he wished his magic allowed him the ability to both create and melt the ice, then the icicle of his own making would be rendered useless. Surely, though, given the time it had taken the other frozen stalagmites to thaw, this one did not have much time left...

He braced himself as the tip of the dagger broke through the skin to the left of his breast and a cold, frosted pain began to ripple through his interior, but then his challenger swung his hindquarters out in front of Gotham's forelegs as if in an effort to trip him over. Black beast allowed the dagger to penetrate an inch or two before he lunged forwards into the dark man's body. The icicle snapped, leaving only the tip lodged into his shoulder which promptly melted away as the magic faded, and the beast used his colossal weight and strength to continue attempting to shove his opponent forwards. The ice beneath him, slowly thawing 'til it would soon become nothing more than wet, red-stained sludge, aided his efforts as hooves slipped over the frictionless surface. He pushed until his hooves were met with the damp sand that surrounded the arena and continued to heave still. He set his sights on the harsh edges of the Colosseum steps, aiming to revolve his hips around and slam his competitor into them, crushing him against the sharp corners with the right side of his body.

Overhead, the sky was becoming rapidly darker. The thunder and lightning appeared to have ceased, at least for the moment, but the rain which was formerly only a fine mist had begun to increase in both pace and force. Gotham City raised his head to the heavens, still focussing his weight in the direction of the steps and assuming his opponent was caught beneath him, and looked upwards to where the waning moon was beginning to reveal itself amidst the blackening sky. Thick skull was pelted by the deluge of falling water, wetting his forelock to his crown and dulling the glow of his cyan markings. He took a moment of quiet to watch for the stars as grey clouds endeavored to obscure his view. For a split second, the man seems to attempt to project his pain into the cosmos, focusing on the wonders of the Caelum to empower him and enable him to fight despite his lesions.

A sudden shock of static envelopes the stag's head and startles him back to reality, glancing to the ground where blood has begun to seep into the sand, a product of his now quite heavily bleeding nose. It would appear the effects of the previous electric attack had not quite subsided. A dull, throbbing headache began to tap behind his right eye, and the joint of his left shoulder was beginning to stiffen as a result both of the gashes inflicted by his partner's horns and the seeping wound left by the enchanted icicle.

In an attempt to alleviate the pain, Gotham cocks his left hoof and rests it on the sand, shifting the entirety of his weight onto his right side. There was still something twisted inside the man, telling him to relish the pain for it was the most he'd felt in months, the most alive he'd felt in months. This was so much more than sex and alcohol, and the fact he was here as a King only heightened the monster's adrenaline. The altered position did little to lessen the distress of the left of his body, hence it was lucky the King had left his main magical attack until last. He'd been contemplating the limits of his powers for a while, and it was fair to say the stallion had been itching to try a strike of a somewhat... unique nature.

For now, he ground his teeth against each other and increased the pressure he was applying into the steps. Providing his foe had not managed to escape, it would prove rather useful for his next attack to have the man immobilized in such close proximity.

Posts Remaining: 1/5Dodges Remaining: 1/1 Full, 1/3 PartialAttack Summary: As Caelian tries to trip him up, Gotham pushes forwards and attempts to shove Caelian into the steps of the Colosseum. He pushes him across the ice, then swings his hindquarters around to the right to try and trap Caelian between his body and the sharp stone edges of the Colosseum steps. He increases the pressure, though if at any point Caelian managed to escape (even before reaching the steps, considering the momentum Gotham has gained due to the lack of friction on the ice), Gotham would fall against the steps and likely cause slight injury/bruising to himself. Defense Summary: Pushed into Caelian to cause the icicle to snap, so only manages to penetrate 1-2 inches in a singular spot rather than tearing his shoulder or going any deeper. Focusses all his weight on where he assumes Caelian to be between him and the steps, concentrating on trapping him and hence assuming that the stallion cannot escape to attack him. Injury Summary:three deep gashes under his stomach still bleeding but slowed ever so slightly. Correction to last post - as Caelian only has 2 horns, 2 of the gashes were caused by the larger horn skipping over his skin and causing 2 individual wounds in addition to the third, more shallow gash caused by the smaller horn. Left nostril bleeding as a result of the second lightning strike, left leg from cannon down is ever so slightly numb. Skin is tingling all over which is not painful but may become distracting. Head is slightly sore, given the all over effect of the third lightning strike. Body is generally sore and bruised from falling down the stairs with Caelian.

- bleeding of the stomach gashes is still slowing, though now the area is incredibly stiff and sore. left nostril is bleeding heavier as a headache/flash of static comes over his head, which will reignite the electric prickling sensation over his body. feeling regained to his left cannon. in adrenaline, the soreness of the bruising is forgotten but now his body is cold and tingling as a result of both the ice dagger and the electric 'shock' of the previous attack. there's a 1.5inch puncture to the left of his breast where his shoulder meets his chest, which is bleeding/seeping and adding to the stiffness of his left foreleg. this will cause future lameness and he is already unwilling to put too much pressure on his left side.

- if he misses caelian/caelian escapes during his attack, he will slam against the steps himself which will cause heavy bruising on his right side and potentially a few scrapes/cuts. the pressure with which he'd collide with the steps is far less than that with which he intends to crush caelian, though.

Everything that happened in a battle happened so quickly, and one has to have a young, fast brain to keep up with everything. Eyes assessed the situation, sent the information to the brain, and the brain had to register this information quickly and tell the muscles what to do before the body was given a blow of horrible pain.

Caelian’s brain was working quickly, but he guessed not quick enough. His body hit the Colosseum steps, and a light popping sound hit his ears. His eyes slammed shut, and he winced in pain from all the bruises, punctures, and lacerations all over his body. He was then thrown and skidded across the ice, that was already nearly melted, and hit again with the weight of Gotham, being trapped behind his massive body. Caelian sighed; his muscles ached and his back hurt; his wounds screamed, yet he still had a few tricks up his sleeve.

This seemed to be the end of Gotham’s attacks, and as the wind was being sucked out of the smaller stallion, the sharp edges of the Colosseum digging into his spine, he began to charge his lightning before him. A small ball of lightning formed between the two of the equines, and slowly grew larger and larger until it burst, sending electric sparks in every direction. Caelian was unsure if any of these sparks would hit Gotham, or if Gotham would escape them by leaping away, but either way, he hoped that it did at least a bit of damage.

Posts Remaining: ⅕Dodges Remaining: 1/1 full, ⅔ partialAttack Summary: charges a ball of lightning before him, in between his body and gothams body. This is meant to be a large attack, but between the pressure of the two equines pushing against it and the amount of time Caelian uses to charge it, it malfunctions and bursts into small sparks that could potentially be harmlessDefense Summary: under fatigue, he does not much to defend himselfInjury Summary:a gash is quite visible under the chin, on the throat latch of caelian. It is barely trickling blood, the rest had frozen to his fur. He has two puncture wounds in his rump from gotham’s pointed hooves, and bruises from his fall down the steps of the colosseum. He now suffers a bleeding deep puncture/laceration in his thigh, showing off a bit of torn muscle.

His spine has popped from the pressure of being hit against the Colosseum stairs, which may result in some sort of fracture, and his bruises have had bruises added on top of them

The two creatures were tiring and it was becoming evident the battle was nearing its end. Neither had submitted thus far, but then again the spar wasn't stated to continue until submission. It was declining in drama quite naturally, though Gotham had a final trick up his sleeve yet.

The black stag - Gotham made a mental note to ask his name when commending him for the fight afterward - put up no fight to being thrust against the jagged stone of the Colosseum steps. The King almost, almost felt bad for continuing to apply pressure to the slightly smaller form, though not quite. As the bulk of his backend collided with his opponent, though, something seemed to... pop? It wasn't a pleasant noise, and the cyan-spotted behemoth found himself drawing his head back a little as he winced in response. Impulsively he lessened the force with which he leaned against the man, though he didn't move his hooves. For his next attack to work, it was beneficial to have the stallion so close.

Unfortunately, his reluctance to move out of the way put him at full liberty of the ball of electricity growing between him and the stag he held captive under his body. The brute grimaced, squeezing his eyes shut as vivid blue light shot out in every direction around the two. He was unaware whether the creator of the lightning sphere was immune to its effects, but he sure wasn't. A large spark hit the center of his right shoulder and fire exploded across his right side, pain pulsating down his foreleg and up his neck. The muscle above his right elbow quivered with fleeting palpitations as Gotham failed in his efforts to steady himself. Smaller sparks embedded themselves in his dark coat but left no more than a passing prick or tickle, nothing in comparison to the agony that seemed to have paralyzed his body from his loins to the base of his neck. Peculiarly, the electricity seemed unaffected by the pillars of rain that hurled themselves from the heavens. Rather a nifty trick, he noted as the illumination of the lightning was magnified by various droplets of precipitation.

It was just as well the King's planned finale didn't require him to move because... well... he couldn't. He tilted his head as much to the right as he could muster given his crippled neck muscles, and stole a glance at a pair of tired pale blue eyes. He fixed on them with startling intensity before rolling his duochrome orbs back into his skull, flitting cyan eyelids closed and summoning migraine-inducing concentration. He pictured water, so much water. He pictured himself fully submerged in a crystalline ocean, swamped in dark blue as he sunk further beneath the surface. In an instant, the equine in Gotham's vision shrunk and sprouted 2 purple horns, the cyan markings fading into black. He wasn't swimming peacefully, either, for no bubbles emerged from his nostrils. No, the animal appearing behind Gotham's eyelids was drowning, slipping slowly into the ocean's outstretched and hungry talons.

Rivulets of saline fluid trickled lazily into Gotham's closed mouth as he opened his eyes once more, regaining steady contact with his foe. The volume of water in his mouth was, he hoped, increasing at a fraction of the pace of the water he was attempting to summon into his competitor's maw. He'd never used this trick before, had no idea if it would even work at all, but the salt water biting down on his tongue was encouragement enough to keep going. For perhaps a minute, maybe two, the beast directed all of his attention on projecting the sensation of drowning onto his foe. He imagined that, if successful, the stallion would be unable to breathe and experience a particularly unpleasant pressure weighing down around his ears and skull. It was Gotham's intention that his 'victim' would not be able to spit the water out until his concentration lapsed and the magic faded away, but he couldn't guarantee any of the effects given his inexperience with the enchantment. He also noted that he was unable to spit the water in his own mouth out, and though it was taking its sweet time in flooding his throat, it would succeed eventually in replicating the feeling of drowning for him, too. The stallion could attest, at least, that his concentration was only strong enough to maintain the drowning projection for 30 seconds at a maximum. An all-encompassing fatigue was beginning to sweep over his paralyzed body and eventually the stag had to drop his determination and spit the ocean debris from behind his teeth.

Partial paralysis did not allow the stag to move so easily, thus he settled for once again shifting his weight, giving an audible grunt as spikes of pain protested his leaning on his left side. He had moved enough, at least, to release the stag from within his grasp - unless, of course, his opponent had already made a nimble getaway.

Gotham knew that, due to injuries both caused by his foe and those self-inflicted, he would not be able to put up a fight for much longer. Luckily, it seemed the same could be said for the smaller horse who had entertained him in combat. For now, he tensed his non-paralyzed muscles as best he could and fought to keep eyes open despite a hammering migraine and intense fatigue.

Posts Remaining: 0/5 (besides final post to receive Caelian's final attack)Dodges Remaining: 1/1 Full, 1/3 PartialAttack Summary: With Caelian still between him and the steps, Gotham loosens his pressure on Caelian just slightly and looks at him as best he can. He uses his magic to project a sensation of drowning onto Caelian where, if it works, the stallion will not be able to breathe and will experience pressure all over his head and ears for a maximum of 30 seconds. He won't be able to spit the water out or breath through his nose for however long the effects last. During this, water also trickles into Gotham's mouth - though much slower - and he cannot breathe, either.Defense Summary: Tenses his muscles slightly, which proves difficult given the paralysis, and fights to keep his eyes open.Injury Summary:three deep gashes under his stomach still bleeding but slowed ever so slightly. Correction to last post - as Caelian only has 2 horns, 2 of the gashes were caused by the larger horn skipping over his skin and causing 2 individual wounds in addition to the third, more shallow gash caused by the smaller horn. Left nostril bleeding as a result of the second lightning strike, left leg from cannon down is ever so slightly numb. Skin is tingling all over which is not painful but may become distracting. Head is slightly sore, given the all over effect of the third lightning strike. Body is generally sore and bruised from falling down the stairs with Caelian.

- bleeding of the stomach gashes is still slowing, though now the area is incredibly stiff and sore. left nostril is bleeding heavier as a headache/flash of static comes over his head, which will reignite the electric prickling sensation over his body. feeling regained to his left cannon. in adrenaline, the soreness of the bruising is forgotten but now his body is cold and tingling as a result of both the ice dagger and the electric 'shock' of the previous attack. there's a 1.5inch puncture to the left of his breast where his shoulder meets his chest, which is bleeding/seeping and adding to the stiffness of his left foreleg. this will cause future lameness and he is already unwilling to put too much pressure on his left side.

- all injuries still bleeding, though nose has slowed again considerably. he has a severe migraine and fatigue caused by both caelian's lightning strike and his own magic use. his right side from the base of his neck to the middle of his loins is paralyzed - this includes to a general extent his right foreleg, which he can move though it is incredibly heavy and he can't put much weight on it at all. entire body occasionally experiences prickling sensations and everywhere besides his head and hindquarters/back legs is tender and aching as a result of the electricity attack.

With Caelian’s large attack came consequences, and even further as the lightning orb he’d created had reluctantly burst before his eyes. Sparks flew nearly everywhere, sizzling on the raindrops around them, but seemingly fading into the night. A few hit Gotham, others escaped, and a few hit the creator, as well. With the attack came the usual smoking skin, which did nothing to the horse. However, he could be burned by his own magic, and was hit by a few sparks and felt what Gotham felt, though the effects were lessened. A shock went through his neck, irritating his nerves. As well, a burn appeared on the top of his shoulder, where the shock had hit.

Then Caelian felt the pressure drop slightly, once again, and a piercing gaze fixed upon his blue one. His brow furrowed ever so slightly in a last stance of determination, before something began to happen to him that scared him more than any other thing in nature ever did. A pressure began to built around Caelian’s skull, squeezing his head and making his ears pop. He swiveled them backwards quickly, laying them almost flat on his neck as his eyes widened. His gaze turned to the heavens, his eyelashes fluttering gently as the rain pounded down upon his face. Water began to fill his mouth, then slid down his throat and filled his lungs. The sharp bite on his taste told him it was salt water, and the freckled one suddenly lurched forward weirdly, as if forgetting how to breathe entirely. His wide, frightened eyes slowly slid back and his head became almost limp as it fell back and he lazily watched the night, seeing it slowly fade away as an illusion of water fell over his face. It all ended quickly, however, and the weight of Gotham fell away.

Caelian fell to the ground, water flooding out of his mouth and nostrils. He coughed and lay on the damp, Colosseum sand for a moment longer, before weakly pushing himself back up in a single and final stand. His legs shook, yet he steadied himself and flipped his head up with an elegant way, causing his hair to flick with it. He fixed his king in a gaze that held almost no mercy, and his pupils became nothing but pinpricks. At this moment, he felt he should say something final, or attack, or do something but stand there facing the giant, but nothing came to him. He took a step forward, his chin raising and his lip quivering slightly, but he saw how his king stood: tense, prepared, and in pain.

He let his head drop, his pupils widening and his expression becoming a mix of sadness, pain, and fatigue. His eyelids slowly slid over his sparkling eyes and rest for a moment, before he scrunched them and lifted his head back to meet his king’s. His whole body ached with excruciating pain when he slid his eyelids back open to see the clouds clearing, and the rain lightening. Through a small whole, he could see the stars, and it allowed him to relax and even express the smallest of smiles.

Posts Remaining: 0/5Dodges Remaining: 1/1 full, ⅔ partialAttack Summary: caelian did not attackDefense Summary: he did not do anything of defenseInjury Summary: a gash is quite visible under the chin, on the throat latch of caelian. It is barely trickling blood, the rest had frozen to his fur. He has two puncture wounds in his rump from gotham’s pointed hooves, and bruises from his fall down the steps of the colosseum. He now suffers a bleeding deep puncture/laceration in his thigh, showing off a bit of torn muscle. His spine has popped from the pressure of being hit against the Colosseum stairs, which may result in some sort of fracture, and his bruises have had bruises added on top of them. He has a faint feeling as if he is still gasping for breath, or his throat is too small for his lungs, and his ears are popping every so often.

It was somewhat unnerving the way the drama of the Colosseum so quickly vanished, leaving nothing in its wake. Nothing at all.

Quiet overcame the two creatures - there was nothing to be heard but for the occasional huff of breath as both yearned to recover. It had been a fierce fight, an intense period of combat, that was for sure. Gotham could hardly move his front-right side, and his left screamed in agony with every twitch he attempted to make. Left nostril was crimson with dried blood and his entire skull felt as if someone was trying to drill holes through the bone. The lacerations beneath his barrel still bleed - he knows he should find a healer or at least someone to wrap a tourniquet and prevent him from losing any more blood. Already, a distant dizziness was threatening to lose him his hold on consciousness.

As he let go of his hold on his opponent, the other man did not fight back. A curious smoke drifted from the creature but he did not seem bothered by it. It also became apparent that he was not unaffected by his lightning wielding - the same as Gotham with his water manipulation, then.

Speaking of, the King was both pleased and perturbed that his final move had seemed to be successful. The monster rarely experienced emotions of any kind, but the faintest - and I mean, faintest - spark of remorse flickered in his eyes upon seeing the reaction his magic had warranted. As the stallion fell to the floor, Gotham rushed despite his injuries to ensure his well-being. It would not do for a King to challenge his citizen and leave him to suffer on a surface still tarnished by the muddled blood of both combatants. Peculiarly kind eyes looked upon his adversary with silent sympathy, though the gaze turned quickly stoic when the stag proved himself okay and lifted onto his feet. The silence continued to stretch out, and the cyan stallion allowed it.

As if to replicate the lifting of darkness that hung over the adrenaline-fueled intensity of the spar, the heavy clouds above the Colosseum parted and the rain began to cease. Crimson mingled with the blue-brown sludge of thawed ice on the stone floor, and traces of blood were still to be seen in stains down the stone steps - not to mention the blood that still dripped from various wounds - but the light of the unobscured moon and stars seemed to bring with it a reticent solace.

He met the man's gaze with pride, both in himself and in his opposition, and upheld his compelling, albeit pained, stance. No words needed to be spoken just yet, somehow the events of the past 20 minutes or so required a moment of contemplation.

Or rather, it was fairly obvious both men needed a while to recover before taking up some sort of jovial conversation.

Physical Roleplaying - 4/5 stars
Well written and for the most part accurate for his size/experience/etc, however, be mindful of “what if” situations. For example, instead of saying “he spat out whatever bodily debris…” in the same post as the attack, wait to read the opponent’s response and write that in the next post when the result of the attack is clear.

Magic Roleplaying - 4/5 stars
There was a moment where his magic became a little unclear, but overall you did a marvelous job using it and describing the penalties Gotham feels!

Battle Technique - 3/5 stars
An enjoyable read with a beautiful mix of both physical and magic attacks, however, keep in mind the limitations and considerable strain he would be under from his various wounds. There comes a point in time when a body becomes too injured to continue ignoring the pain, dizziness, etc. It is also important to note that defense is no less important than offense; a battle cannot be won through brute force alone… strategic defense will go a long way in the future.

Creativity - 5/5 stars
Each post was fairly creative and unique; at no point did I find myself viewing Gotham’s posts as stale or repetitive.

Readability - 4/5 stars
Each post went through the actions very well and I know more about what makes him tick than before this battle. As previously stated, less “what-ifs” in future battles/spars will secure higher scores.

Overall - 4/5 stars
Gotham City is a force to be reckoned with, both intellectually and physically, and it clearly shows in every post. The writing is well put together and cohesive to what his goals are, with a bit more thought put into defense and how it can beneficial while still permitting attacks to land, I think he will go very far in Elysium.

Total - 24/30 stars

Caelian

Physical Roleplaying - 4/5 stars
For the most part, you did a fabulous job of keeping his overall skills realistic. As suggested for Gotham, I also suggest more focus on what is actually happening and don’t overuse “what-if” scenarios. Also, be mindful of his injuries, though that is addressed further down this rubric.

Magic Roleplaying - 4/5 stars
Caelian’s grasp on his magic comes through quite clearly; you can tell he used to possess it and knows how to best hit where it hurts.

Battle Technique - 3/5 stars
I enjoyed reading his posts and gaining more insight into his mind but I was left a little disappointed by his attacks and the lack of realism surrounding them toward the end, especially coupled with the injuries he sustains. Defensive skills definitely need work overall, as well, but I did enjoy his first defense where he attempts to wriggle free by falling limp; clever.

Creativity - 4/5 stars
You did a great job keeping the attacks centered on his current position and the limitations that placed on him at the beginning, but toward the end his attacks became less feasible.

Readability - 4/5 stars
As a whole, Caelian’s posts were very enjoyable and easy to read with only small sections where things became a bit unclear. Again, less “what-ifs” will help achieve higher scores down the road!

Overall - 4/5 stars
Overall I think you did a great job in his first magical battle in Elysium! I am definitely looking forward to seeing what else Caelian does in the future and how his skills progress the more experience he gains.

Total - 23/30 stars

Gotham City

Physical Roleplaying - 5/5 stars
Looking good, he's a big boy and using it to his advantage by shoving his weight around even if he seems clunky. Plopping himself and Caelian down the stairs was my favorite area.

Magic Roleplaying - 5/5 stars
Great way of showing how he's still beginning again with level 1 magic with the icicles not shooting up farther enough. Quite the comedic moment that you don't see often in battles. Rest is really good too using the icicle like a dagger.

Battle Technique - 3/5 stars
I found myself enjoying it but you have some of "what ifs/if successful" which is not a good way to do this. I'm not sure if you were mirroring it or not since you were doing fine without it at first, but make sure to stick with "hoping to attempt" and not "hoping to attempt and if not, hope to attempt with the other". You went back to how it should be done afterward in the end which is good! Keep in mind though that even though he's a trained warrior, dizziness can definitely affect a sense of balance.

Creativity - 5/5 stars
You made him shove weight, stab, freeze, trap, and used the colessuem floor to your advantage. I couldn't have been more excited to read through this.

Readability - 5/5 stars
I found it pretty easy to read and understand what was going on, great job! Was also interesting to see how he nearly got into his aggressive side before checking himself.

Overall - 4/5 stars
You were doing great and if it weren't for the "if successfuls" going on, it would be perfect. I really loved the fact that there was still some static in him from Caelian's first three small attacks, it was a fantastic touch to add more consistency.

Total - 27/30 stars

Caelian

Physical Roleplaying - 2/5 stars
You were doing pretty well until the later half.

-Caelian's hope to attack the King's neck with the icicle just won't have enough driving force due to the injury in his leg from a very sharp icicle that hit bone and nerves. Plus, he removed such a giant wound, which is not a wise move. He should've kept it in to let it clot and start to heal or at least given up since this is just a training battle.

-The other area was trying to trip the King by mentioning it being "at the same time". He was greatly wounded and he tries get him to kick the King as well? All the bruises, pain, and dizziness, I just don't find this to be necessary to do, he should be feeling tired and not fight the dizziness, the pain would be too great.

However, you realized that Caelian finally could not attack anymore and that was good!

Magic Roleplaying - 5/5 stars
It was electrifying seeing the three attacks landing upon Gotham City's as well as the large attack of the ball of lightning. That's a great show of desperation as well as being his last attack being realistic.

Battle Technique - 3/5 stars
While I did like the buck to get Gotham away and the bite attempt, you showered Gotham with a lot of "what ifs/not successful" and this is not good to rely on. These battles are supposed to be what would be done in that moment, not "What would be done and if didn't, this would be done instead". This just causes confusion andmore to keep track of on our side + you + the other rper.

Creativity - 4/5 stars
Good use of the surroundings, those stairs were a great touch, as well as getting that large attack in a last resort. However, the end part was starting to become unbelievable with his immense injury.

Readability - 5/5 stars
Easy to read really, I understood it all and wasn't confused. A good insight of him comparing himself to his sister as well.

Overall - 3/5 stars
Again, same here, I think with time you can focus more on straight on attacks to get rid of the "if he succeeded". I know it's tempting and you want to get everything in these battles, but it'll be a lot better without it.

Total - 22/30 stars

FINAL SUMMARY - We apologize extremely for the very long wait for the judging due to busy schedules that were unforseen. With that said, due to the reasons stated in the rubrics above, we declare Gotham City as the winner of this training battle with 51 stars over Caelian's45. We hope both of you take the notes above as helpful for future battles to come!

Silence filled the air, and the pulse of blood in Caelian’s veins felt like a faint throb. His brain hurt, and as he brought his head back down from staring at the clouds, he squeezed his eyes shut, drowning out the sound of anything that would break the silence. Throwing his eyes open again, he began to sway. The world turned and blurred, the huge figure of Gotham expanding into a blob of black colour. Caelian began to see repeats, his eyes rolled, before he tilted and began to fall, before catching himself with his right hoof. He snapped everything back into focus, and turned to look at his bleeding wounds. Feeling nauseated, he looked around for anything he could use to stop the bleeding. Surely, it was not good for him to lose this much blood.

He took a step forward, wobbling on his feet, before stopping the attempt. Pain shot up his leg, and bruises he hadn’t noticed before revealed themselves in fury of his action. He dragged his hoof back to safely hold himself up, but all he wished to do was lie down. He assumed this wasn’t the best idea, there were wounds that would become infuriated if he did so.

He set his hooves, making sure not to topple over. His face showed determination, even though the battle was over, he wouldn’t give up fighting. However, when he saw the blood that had dripped and pooled beneath him, he let his lids fall silently over his eyes once again, and a sigh escaped his velveted lips. After a moment of thought, he opened them once again, and a breath floated over the calm. ”My king,” it said, drifting on the wind as if a ghost were present, ”you fight well,” A small smile crossed the face of the freckled man, and he tilted his head downward in a small bow, before raising it again and peering through his forelock with his pale eyes. Rainwater dripped from the black strands of hair that stuck to his face in an annoying way. He flicked his tail, spraying the floor behind him with cold water. It was hard to tell what would happen next.

Ripples of pain cast themselves over his body as Gotham watched his opponent struggle in a similar way. He stood a square stance, looking over his worthy contestant with a gaze injected with sympathy and a touch of remorse. The way this man lay on the floor, bleeding, that was his fault. Had he taken this spar too far? Would this provoke the departure of one of his citizens, the way he had fought him until he could quite literally move no more?

At least the stallion now seemed to be making an effort to stand up. Gotham's limbs quaked hazardously but he pushed the desire to give up to the back of his head. While this man was fighting so honourably to stand on four hooves, it wouldn't do for the King to drop to the floor in agony. Numerous times, the stag seemed to nearly fail, stooping back down to the wet stones before catching himself and forcing heavy limbs back up again. The sympathy in Gotham City's eyes twisted to something more of both pride and admiration. This, this man, was one of his citizens. He had fought him with bravery and intelligent tactics and not given up even when dizziness and pain begged him to surrender. This was a man of Crucis, a man of Gotham's Crucis.

The behemoth's gaze followed his companion's to the blood that flooded the floor beneath them, eventually tracking back up to meet the calm blue gaze as his ears flitted towards the breath of peace. An uncharacteristic moment for the King brushed over him and he mirrored the stallion's smile. The expression was strangely warm, becoming of him, perhaps inspired by the daggers of discomfort twisting and writhing through his veins, making him feel both dead and alive at the same time. He dipped his head in respect, the smile shrinking back to an emotionless expression as he held back a wince in the pulling of his various wounds.

"It seems I am not the only seasoned fighter in the arena today." he nods at the man, tempted to take a step forwards and examine the wounds he inflicted but unable to given the lingering touch of paralysis in his legs. He cranes his neck a little to the left, seeing the gash under his foe's chin and the trail of blood decorating his flank. Not the only injuries either, he was sure of it. "You should see a healer." his tone is blatant but not unkind, even though the man likely knew he should get his wounds seen to. Gotham arced his neck, grimacing just slightly as he caught sight of the gashes lining his barrel and the puncture to the side of his breast. He offered a pained, but humoured, smile, "Me too, I should think." a particularly short chuckle rumbled through his barrel.

"I admit I am shamed to say I don't yet know your name, and yet you are a citizen of mine. Might I ask what it is?" he was not embarrassed, not near to the extent of blushing or stuttering, but felt it was his duty as King to know the names of his citizens and this here was an evidence of momentary failure. "I should like to appoint you with a Crucis rank, what do you think?" he wasn't sure whether the stallion would be willing to be a soldier, but if not perhaps they could negotiate. He was perseverant and skilled enough that it seemed a shame for him to be a simple loyalist.

Caelian could feel the heat in his cheeks rising when the king complimented him. A small smile etched his features, and his pale eyes, which were upon the ground, flicked up to meet his king’s gaze. He swayed slightly, his ears pricking to ear what Gotham had to say. A healer, yes, that was wise. He would do that soon.

Then the topic of names floated past. ”Caelian,” he breathed, a small smile still on his face while his hooded eyes fought to stay open. ”My name is Caelian. Do not be ashamed by not knowing it. I do a poor job of introducing myself.” He was then asked what he thought of a rank other than Loyalist. His eyes brightened slightly, and he steadied himself a bit better on the slippery floor. ”I would be honoured, my king.” He dipped his head in respect for the giant of a horse.

Caelian’s mind instantly ventured to all the ranks there were in a hierarchy. Soldier, assistant, spy… spy… now that was an interesting choice. His pale eyes scanned Gotham for a moment, wondering if he had the right to ask for a rank. He decided to take the risk, a slight flinch in his voice as he started. ”Would it be uncivil of me to suggest the rank of scout, or spy?” He bent his head slightly away, wincing slightly in case Gotham decided this was extremely rude behaviour.

247 WORDS FOR Gotham City ― *spongebob narrator voice* one eternity later (sorry this took so long. one post for gotham and end?)

There was a funnily palpable tension between them. Not an unpleasant tension, more the residue of the battle, so thick you could cut it with a knife. Both stallions looked to be in inexplicable pain - likely because they were in inexplicable pain - but both were grimacing through the agony to talk to each other in civility, addressing each other as respectable peers before going their separate ways to seek healers.

Finally, a name. That, at least, softened Gotham's slight guilt at barely managing not to cripple his opponent. Not that Caelian had showed him much mercy in return, and for that he was thankful, but he'd hardly managed in resisting the carnal urge to just make everything bleed. Sparring, for Gotham, was like a gateway drug. His first conflicts had been small, meaningless, and built slowly to bigger, better battles resulting in limbs rendered unusable, mutilating scars and floods of crimson for miles at once. Battles not only between two but between the hundreds - adrenaline and ferocity, stretching as far as the eye could see. It was, explicitly, what made the King tick.

"Caelian," he nodded despite the thundering pain in his thick neck, "It was truly a pleasure." the man excused himself for not having put a name to the face before, but for Gotham it was unacceptable on his part and not his citizen's. Why should any creature need to introduce themselves to their King? No, it was the sovereign's duty to show interest in their people, and in that he had failed.

He did, however, allow Caelian to bow. He was not a dictator of a royal but vanity somewhat became of him and the bow was appreciated. Not that he fancied himself incredibly superior but, well, he was a bit superior.

A scout, or a spy. Interesting proposals that Gotham took a minute to mull over. The ranks had not previously existed in the schemes of Crucis but he failed to see where they would not belong. In fact, something of a sneaky nature would likely prove incredibly useful to the herd. As fun as it was, he couldn't send his troops in with guns blazing at any sign of disagreement. To have someone finding out information and scouring territories would be a wonderful asset.

After a moment, the King nodded. "Not at all, Caelian. I would be quite happy to allow you the title and duties of scout. Perhaps, as our ranks grow, you can select and lead a small group. Perhaps." he was not sure how large a scouting group would need to be, but Caelian had at least proved himself worthy of heading whomever may take similar titles in the future. "I should love to continue this discussion further, but I fear one or both of us may, well, collapse." he accessorized the disappointment with a brief chuckle, "And so I bid you good evening. Thankyou for a wonderful fight, we shall meet soon to discuss your duties further, perhaps?" the question wasn't really phrased as optional. It was likely something would crop up quite soon that would require the attention of a scout.